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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has recently conducted search operations at the premises of Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) president Montu Patel in connection with various allegations including accepting bribes from pharmacy institutions for approval. Following a preliminary enquiry, an FIR has been filed by the CBI based on a complaint from none other than an Under Secretary in the Union Health Ministry for alleged violation of various provisions including the Prevention of Corruption Act. That the functioning of the PCI was not all that hunky dory was evident from the fact that earlier in May this year the PCI was criticised by the Supreme Court for ‘lack of application of mind and exercise of powers in an arbitrary manner’, in various matters which ended up in litigations between the pharmacy institutes and the PCI. The extent of corruption in the PCI can be gauged from the published reports, according to which the CBI has allegedly identified that six colleges were approved by the Executive Committee of the PCI headed by Patel despite negative reports from the inspectors appointed by the PCI itself. The irregularities in these approvals include that the inspections were conducted in online mode without site visits, and in some instances, the inspections were over in just seven or eight minutes. The CBI has also reportedly alleged irregularities in digitalisation of registration of pharmacy colleges through development of a portal of PCI. Of course, the recent CBI action has triggered a debate on bringing the proposed National Pharmacy Commission Bill at the earliest as there are several loopholes in the present system and in the functioning of the PCI. It was to address these issues, the draft NPC Bill was released by the Union Health Ministry in November 2023. The Bill is proposed to replace the PCI with the National Pharmacy Commission on the lines of the National Medical Commission which replaced the Medical Council of India. The new Commission will make regulations to perform functions including framing of policies and regulate standards for governance of pharmacy education, pharmacy institutions, researchers, professionals and associates. That the government is focusing on pharmacy education is clear from the fact that the Bill proposes to provide a pharmacy education system that improves access to quality and affordable pharmacy education. Besides, there are proposals to conduct periodic and transparent assessment of pharmacy institutions and to facilitate maintenance of a pharmacy register for India and to enforce high ethical standards in all aspects of pharmacy services.
It is in this direction, the NPC Bill proposes to constitute three Boards, the Pharmacy Education Board, the Pharmacy Assessment and Rating Board, and the Pharmacy Ethics and Registration Board. The Pharmacy Education Board will determine the requirements and standards of pharmacy education and examination up to postgraduate level. It will prepare curriculum, prescribing qualifications, standards for setting up of pharmacy institutions and infrastructure, faculty and quality of education provided in those institutions, facilitating development and training of faculty members, norms regarding annual disclosures and others, and regulate the standards and scope of practice of registered pharmacy professionals. The Pharmacy Assessment and Rating Board will take care of procedure for assessing and rating pharmacy institutions for compliance with the standards laid down by the Pharmacy Education Board, grant permission for establishment of a new pharmacy institution or starting of a course, increasing number of seats, among others and conduct inspections of pharmacy institutions. Overall, the NPC Bill is a right step in right direction and the government should expedite the Bill to stem the rot in the pharmacy education in the country.
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